A young fitness trainer from Harrogate is hoping her tilt at the Miss Yorkshire title this weekend will encourage others battling mental health problems through fitness. 

Chloe McEwen, 21, will be competing in the regional round of Miss England in Doncaster on Sunday, but her immaculate appearance will leave judges none the wiser about her past struggles.

At the age of 16, Chloe was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, she endured an arduous eight-month hospital stay, and her weight soared by almost four stone.

But by embracing a healthier lifestyle and a dedicated fitness regime, bolstered by an unwavering support network, she not only regained control of her life but also embarked on a mission to empower others.

Before and after photos of Miss Yorkshire contestant Chloe McEwen.

Former Rossett School pupil Chloe now wants to provide support and motivation to those in need. As a Level 3 fitness trainer with clients in a small private gym and classes at a Harrogate health club, she understands the challenges of self-motivation, but believes that simply maintaining discipline, even in small steps, is the key to turning things around. She said:

“The rewards of persevering are immeasurable.”

The problems Chloe had to overcome to achieve her transformation are all too common – 56% of the UK population are now registered with some form of mental health issue, and young people are disproportionately affected.

The Miss Yorkshire contest will take place at on Sunday at the Earl of Doncaster Hotel.

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Three Wetherspoons pubs in the Harrogate district are set to host a real ale festival in October.

The Winter Gardens in Harrogate, Unicorn Hotel in Ripon and The Crown Inn in Knaresborough will all take part in the 12-day festival which will feature 20 different beers from the UK and around the world.

It will be held from Wednesday, October 11, until Sunday, October 22.

Among the brewers on display include Steel and Oak Brewing, Canada, Yazoo Brewing from USA and South Africa’s Zubland Brewery.

The Crown Inn at Knaresborough and The Unicorn Hotel in Ripon.

Others on display will be Robinsons Brewery, Purity Brewery and Joe’s Garage Brewery in Czech Republic.

Beers on offer will be £2.45 a pint.

Will Thorton, manager at the Winter Gardens in Harrogate, said:

“The festival is a great celebration of real ale.

“It will allow us to showcase a selection of superb beers over a 12-day period, at great value for money prices.

“It will also give our customers the opportunity to enjoy a number of beers which have not previously been served in the pub, including those from overseas.”

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Yemi Adelekan is a food writer and blogger who was a semi-finalist in last year’s BBC TV’s Masterchef  competition. Every Saturday Yemi will be writing on the Stray Ferret about her love of the district’s food  and sharing cooking tips– please get in touch with her if you want her to review a restaurant, visit your farm, taste the produce you sell or even share a recipe.

If you’re looking for a friendly and welcoming coffee shop, Folk Coffee House in Harrogate is the place for you.

As the name implies, it is designed to be the heart of the community. Whether you prefer outside seating for (rare) sunny days or a cosy interior, it is a perfect hang out space for friends, colleagues, or families.

When my boys were growing up, one of the things I looked forward to each day was meeting up with other mums for coffee. This coffee shop took me right back to that time; I could see myself unwinding there with friends and sharing ideas.

Folk Coffee House serves great coffee, homemade cakes, and light bites.

I ordered the carrot cake – as it was apparently the best cake a customer had ever had — and with such endorsement, I had to give it a go. The cake was packed full of nuts with a comforting toasty-ness and lovely plump raisins. The topping, which was made from a mixture of cream cheese, whipped cream, and icing sugar, was delightfully light.

It’s safe to say I was not disappointed!

There is also wide range of delicious gluten free options available, including a Bakewell blondie, double chocolate brownies and sugar free breakfast muffins.

Owner Sally proudly told me she focusses on balancing the cost and the quality of the in-house baked goods. She added she is passionate about zero waste and uses a daily ordering system to support this.

Folk Coffee House is proudly Yorkshire; it patronises local businesses for their produce and serves award-winning teas and coffees.

When it comes to tea, nothing but Canton Tea will do! The tea is served at many high-end venues including The Savoy, The Ritz, and The Mandarin Oriental. Now, it’s available to you right here in Harrogate! I had the berry and hibiscus tea with notes of rose hip which was delightful.

Local artists also display their work on the walls, and a new artist is featured every month. It creates a gallery-like space and no doubt contributes to the community feel.

Customers were also keen to recommend their favourites on the menu, so I will be heading back to check them out.

Folk Coffee House embraces the local community and wants people to feel welcome with a coffee in hand.

The tag line – ‘a place for all folk to meet, eat, drink, and create’ — says it all.

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Harrogate firefighters rescued a man who got trapped after falling headfirst through a loft hatch today.

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service’s incident report said the alert was raised at 12.22pm. The location is described only as being in Harrogate.

The report said:

“Crew from Harrogate assisted a man who had fallen headfirst out of a loft hatch and become trapped by the ladders leaving him dangling head first.

“Crew used small tools to free the man and bring him back down to the landing safely.”

No further details, including the extent of any injuries, was revealed.

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National pet retailer Jollyes opened its doors in Harrogate today.

The store, which is located on Hookstone Park, near Morrisons, is one of 95 Jollyes sites in the UK.

It sells pet foods, toys, bedding and vitamins and also offers a pet grooming service called The Jolly Groomer.

Jollyes caters for a wide range of pets ranging from dogs and cats to chipmunks and aquatic turtles.

Ten staff are employed at the Harrogate site. Branch manager Dawn Jenkins told the Stray Ferret:

“The store has a bit of everything for every owner.

“It’s been a lot of hard work, so to see people in the store and hearing the positive feedback makes it all worth it.”

Jollyes, which has over 1,000 employees across the UK, plans to open 10 more stores by the middle of 2024.

The company held a competition with the Stray Ferret to give one person and their dog the chance to officially open the new Harrogate store, as well as take part in a trolley dash.

The lucky winners, Dawn McLean and her Dachshund Alan, helped to cut the red ribbon and grabbed a new bed and some treats during their dash.

“What a store – it’s amazing”, Ms McLean added.

Pic: Ms McLean and Alan.

James Wye, regional support manager at Jollyes, also said:

“The store was about a three-month turnaround.

“That includes looking at the initial plans and imagining how the store will be set out, to ordering stock.

“I’m really happy with the opening – I think it’s gone very well.”

Jollyes Harrogate is open seven days per week.

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The Harrogate district took home several gold medals at yesterday’s Yorkshire in Bloom Awards.

Harrogate in Bloom won the gold medal in the small city category for the quality of its floral displays in the town and on the approach roads.

Harrogate in Bloom was also awarded the discretionary Yorkshire Rose Best City Award 2023 at the event, which was held at the Riley-Smith Hall in Tadcaster.

Local towns, villages, and communities across also received recognition for their floral efforts.

Yorkshire in Bloom, which is a regional representative of the RHS Britain in Bloom campaign, encourages people to get green fingered and brighten up their surroundings.

It hopes this will boost local economy through increased tourism and promote environmental maintenance and cleanliness.

Competitors are assessed by local judges based on criteria set by the Royal Horticultural Society.

Here are details of the local winners.

Harrogate in Bloom – Small City Award: Gold (category winner)

Harrogate in Bloom saw a range of floral exhibitions around the town centre coordinated by Harrogate Business Improvement District.

Judges said:

“The floral displays in the town and on the approach roads are excellent and maintained to a high standard. This is matched in places with perennial planting and alternative mowing regimes to improve biodiversity.”

Ripon in Bloom – Town/City Centre Award: Silver Gilt

 Judges praised the floral “hidden gems” at Ripon Spa Gardens and Temple Gardens.

They said the display added to the city being “a blooming attractive place to visit”.

Evie Wood’s coronation design in Ripon Spa Gardens

Knaresborough in Bloom – Large Town Award: Gold (joint category winner)

 Hanging baskets and floral pots around the town all contributed to Knaresborough’s first prize.

Those involved put a great deal of thought and horticultural knowledge into it, the judges said, as well as describing it as “beautifully carried out”.

Pic: Knaresborough in Bloom Facebook

Starbeck in Bloom – Urban Community Award: Gold (joint category winner)

 Starbeck’s entry was considered to be “much loved” by the judges.

They said despite the entry largely being a single Harrogate street, there is a “real sense of community and caring about their local environment”.

Pic: Starbeck in Bloom Facebook

Villages/Communities/Businesses

Birstwith in Bloom — Village Award: Gold (joint category winner)

Birstwith in Bloom — Best Small Community – Winner

Spofforth in Bloom — Village Award: Gold (joint category winner)

Knaresborough Castle — Parks, Gardens, Cemeteries & Buildings Award: Gold

Ripon Spa Gardens — Parks, Gardens, Cemeteries & Buildings Award: Platinum

Valley Gardens — Parks, Gardens, Cemeteries & Buildings Award: Platinum

Millennium Garden Spofforth –RHS ‘It’s your Neighbourhood’ Award: Level 5, Outstanding

Ginny Greenholes Spofforth — RHS ‘It’s your Neighbourhood’ Award: Level 5, Outstanding

Ripon Museum Trust Garden — RHS ‘It’s your Neighbourhood’ Award: Level 5, Outstanding

Woodlands Community Garden — RHS ‘It’s your Neighbourhood’ Award: Level 4, Thriving

Harrogate Golf Club – Small Business Award: Silver Gilt

Goldsborough Hall – Medium Business Award: Gold (category winner)

Nidd Hall Hotel — Medium Business Award: Gold

Rudding Park Hotel – Large Business Award: Gold (category winner)

Himalayan Gardens and Sculpture Park — Tourist Attractions: Gold

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Metal fences have been put up to prevent people entering the pavilion in Harrogate’s Crescent Gardens.

The fences, which appeared this morning, were erected following a two-week occupation of the pavilion by a group of rough sleepers this month.

The group set up camp in the pavilion and have returned at least twice since they were dispersed last Friday in an operation carried out by North Yorkshire Council and North Yorkshire Police

The encampment led nearby residents to express concerns about anti-social behaviour and a lack of action from the council and police.

The pavilion encampment

How it looks this morning.

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The group returned to the pavilion on Sunday evening and again on Tuesday morning — but were removed again both times.

The Stray Ferret asked North Yorkshire Council earlier this week what legal powers it used to disperse the people in the pavilion and what action it planned to take to prevent repeat occupations but has not yet received a response.

NHS dentistry provision was discussed at a meeting yesterday between Andrew Jones, the MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, and Stephen Eames, the chief executive of the Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board. 

The issue was highlighted recently by the announcement that Chatsworth House dental practice on King’s Road in Harrogate was closing to NHS patients from December 1. 

The meeting was a follow-up from a briefing this month which the ICB – a collaboration of health and care organisations tasked with improving the health and wellbeing of people in the region – arranged for all Humber and North Yorkshire MPs. 

Mr Jones said:  

“We have a short-term issue – one that I raised at Prime Minister’s Questions – about what happens when a practice suddenly closes to NHS patients as has happened here. We also have a medium-term issue about increasing NHS dentistry capacity. Mr Eames and I discussed both these issues.” 

Chatsworth House Dental Clinic

The ICB told Mr Jones it is planning to redistribute the funding given to Chatsworth House to other local practices so that they can take on more patients. Patients affected will be contacted directly by the ICB to explain where their new practice will be.

According to a government briefing published in April 2023, total funding for NHS dental services in England fell by 8% in real terms between 2010 and 2022.

Read more:

• Andrew Jones MP urges Prime Minister to ease ‘strain’ on access to Harrogate NHS dentists
• Local politicians raise concern over lack of Harrogate and Knaresborough NHS dentistry
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The crisis in NHS dental provision was highlighted by a YouGov poll in March. The survey found that more than a quarter of the UK population (27%) have not seen a dentist within the last two years, and one in five people (22%) are currently not even registered with a dentist.

Of those, 37% said it was because they couldn’t find an NHS dentist, and 23% said it was because they couldn’t afford to pay for treatment. One in 10 admitted to attempting their own dental work.

To help address the problem, the ICB is looking to increase NHS dental capacity locally through the rapid launch ‘Centres of Dental Development’, which are intended to support, develop and retain the dental workforce across the Humber and North Yorkshire. 

Mr Jones said:  

“It is good that the ICB are looking at the long-term sustainability of our dental service. This is a positive and constructive approach and I have asked that Harrogate, which is the largest town in North Yorkshire, will be host to one of these new centres. 

“Such a facility would place front and centre significant dental provision for our area. It could educate a new generation of local dentists. To have such a centre in Harrogate would be a huge boon to our area. 

“I look forward to receiving more details from the ICB and feel hopeful that my request for a Centre of Dental Development in Harrogate will be successful.” 

A professional boxer from Harrogate has been jailed for more than seven years for wounding a man by biting his ear in a bar.

Guy Kitching, 21, an unbeaten middleweight, was found guilty of wounding with intent this week following a trial at York Crown Court.

The incident occurred during an assault at The Foundry Project in The Ginnel on December 27, 2021. 

A doorman who worked at the bar told the court it was a busy night during the Christmas period and that the scene was “quite chaotic”.

He said he intervened following a disturbance and a man told him he had been bitten.

Under cross-examination from prosecutor Helen Towers, Kitching, of Hillbank View, Harrogate, admitted that he and the named victim had come across each other at the top of the stairs inside the bar and that an argument broke out, but denied biting him.

Ms Towers told the jury that the victim ended up with a very serious wound to his ear. There was said to be some “background” to the incident.

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Earlier this year, Kitching notched up his first professional boxing victory in a performance described by his trainer as “perhaps the best debut performance I have ever seen”.

His professional record currently stands at two wins from two contests.

The former Rossett School pupil, who trained at ABC boxing club in Leeds, enjoyed a distinguished amateur career before gaining his professional licence and signing for VIP Promotions.

A part-time roofer by trade, Kitching finished many of his 23 amateur bouts by stoppage, winning several Yorkshire belts and qualifying for national finals.

Judge Simon Hickey jailed Kitching for seven years and six months. 

The Conservatives have strengthened their grip on North Yorkshire Council with a by-election win.

Egg farmer David Hugill took the Hutton Rudby and Osmotherley division yesterday with 48 per cent of the vote.

Liberal Democrat Duncan Russell, a former army major, was second with 38 per cent and Green Party candidate Allan Mortimer received 12 per cent of the votes.

Yorkshire Party candidate Lee Derrick got about one per cent in the by-election, in which 39 per cent of the 5,077 electorate turned out.

Last night’s official results.

The result, which appeared to come as a huge relief to party members attending the count at Northallerton Civic Centre, means the decades-long Conservative control of County Hall, with half of the 90 elected members, is re-established.

The Tories have shored up support this year by entering into an agreement with three independent councillors, including Ripon Minster and Moorside Cllr Andrew Williams.

Mr Hugill had been a Tory councillor for part of the division for many years, but lost out in a party selection to fellow Conservative Hambleton District councillor Bridget Fortune ahead of the May 2022 election, which saw him lose by 249 votes to Mrs Fortune.

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The by-election was triggered by the resignation of Cllr Fortune, amid allegations over her treatment by some members of the party.

Senior council officers are still considering a complaint over an incident in the council chamber in May, in which Lower Wensleydale councillor and Conservative whip Tom Jones was said to have tried to prevent Cllr Fortune from voting.

Leading North Yorkshire Conservatives, including North Yorkshire Council leader Carl Les and the party’s mayoral candidate Cllr Keane Duncan warmly congratulated Mr Hugill on his victory after the late-night count.

In his acceptance speech, Cllr Hugill said the campaign had “been dominated by so-called Tory in-fighting” and called for it to be ended.